Gas turbine system and method

• US 6,484,490 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexenergy Energy Systems, Inc. (FlexEnergy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Energy Systems Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Hargrove, Jason K., Thomson, John H., Olsen, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): KOCZO JR, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/679,555
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 60/391.81, 60/392.81, 60/394.65, 606/85, 290/52, 324/122
• US Class Current: 60/39.281
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/22 Fuel supply systems

Abstract

A gas booster system in which a variable frequency drive is used to control, by means of a variable speed motor, the compression rate of a pump in a gas turbine combustion engine. The rate of the variable speed motor, and thus the rate of compression, is controlled by monitoring turbine temperature. The gas turbine system responds to the turbine temperature to regulate the rate of compression of the fuel.

Claims

1. A gas turbine system comprising:

a pump for providing a gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber which produces an exhaust;

an electric motor for driving said pump;

a turbine for receiving the exhaust of said combustion chamber;

a sensor measuring a turbine parameter; and

a controller for adjusting the speed of said electric motor in response to a turbine temperature determined from the measured turbine parameter.

2. The gas turbine system according to claim 1, wherein said parameter is a temperature.

3. The gas turbine system of claim 1, wherein said pump is a positive displacement pump.

4. The gas turbine system according to claim 2, wherein said sensor is positioned to measure the turbine temperature at an inlet of said turbine.

5. The gas turbine system according to claim 4, wherein said sensor measures a temperature of the exhaust before the exhaust enters said turbine through said inlet.

6. The gas turbine system according to claim 1, wherein said motor includes a variable frequency drive.

7. The gas turbine system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a thermocouple.

8. The gas turbine system according to claim 1, wherein said controller determines a difference between the turbine temperature and a predetermined second temperature, wherein said controller sends a control signal corresponding to the difference between the turbine temperature and the predetermined second temperature to said electric motor, and wherein the speed of said electric motor is adjusted in response to the control signal.

9. The gas turbine system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined second temperature is between 1200°

and 1900°

F.

10. The gas turbine system according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined second temperature is approximately 1600°

F.

11. The gas turbine system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined second temperature is between 1000°

and 1700°

F.

12. The gas turbine system according to claim 1, wherein said controller sends a control signal corresponding to the turbine temperature to a variable frequency drive which controls the speed of said electric motor, and wherein the speed of said electric motor is adjusted in response to the control signal.

13. The gas turbine system according to claim 7, wherein said controller sends a control signal corresponding to the turbine temperature to a variable frequency drive which controls the speed of said electric motor, and wherein the speed of said electric motor is adjusted in response to the control signal.

14. The gas turbine system of claim 3, wherein said positive displacement pump is a rotary screw pump.

19. The gas turbine system according to claim 2, wherein said sensor is positioned to measure the turbine temperature at an oulet of said turbine.

20. The gas turbine system according to claim 19, where in said sensor measures a temperature of a turbine exhaust which exits said turbine through said outlet.

21. The gas turbine system according to claim 4, wherein said sensor measures a temperature of a metal part of said inlet of said turbine.

22. The gas turbine system according to claim 19, wherein said sensor measures a temperature of a metal part of said outlet of said turbine.

15. A gas turbine system comprising:

a pump for providing a gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber which produces an exhaust;

an electric motor for driving said pump;

a turbine for receiving the exhaust of said combustion chamber;

a sensor measuring a turbine parameter; and

a controller for adjusting the speed of said electric motor in response to a turbine temperature determined from the measured turbine parameter;

wherein said controller determines a difference between the turbine temperature and a predetermined second temperature, wherein said controller sends a control signal corresponding to the difference between the turbine temperature and the predetermined second temperature to said electric motor, and wherein the speed of said electric motor is adjusted in response to the control signal.

16. The gas turbine system according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined second temperature is between 1200°

and 1900°

F.

17. The gas turbine system according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined second temperature is approximately 1600°

F.

18. The gas turbine system according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined second temperature is between 1000°

and 1700°

F.